National Lawmakers

NATIONAL LAWMAKER

SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES AT WASHINGTON CITY.

A Summary of the Past Six Days in Congress-The Proceedings of Each Day Condensed, Giving All Important Bills and Resolutions and Action Thereon in Both Houses of Congress.

Washington City, March 29.- No congress Wednesday on account of Chief Justice Waite's funeral.

Washington City, March 30.- The senate Thursday agreed to adjourn over Good Friday to Saturday. Farwell introduced a bill authorizing the president to prohibit the importation of animal products from countries where contagious stock diseases abound and to retaliate upon countries which discriminate against our animal products. Consideration of the bill and petitions against Sunday labor was referred to the education and labor committee. A bill was reported for a public building at Lansing, Mich., to cost $100,000. Berry spoke at length in advocacy of the principles embodied in the president's tariff message. Bills were passed providing police regulation for Yellowstone park; appropriating $250,000 for a public building at Sioux City, Ia., and $80,000 for another at Cheyenne, Wy. T. granting right-of-way to the St. Louis & San Francisco railway through Indian territory, and appropriating $20,000 for completing the monument to Washington's mother. The senate then adjourned, having passed sixty-one bills from the calendar.

 The house received an adverse report on the resolution asking the postmaster general why American citizens were refused the same terms in the United States mails as Canadians, and after discussion the matter went over. The District appropriation bill was reported, as well as a bill to prohibit aliens from owning lands in this country. Nelson of Minnesota spoke in favor of tariff revision and the house adjourned. 

Washington City, March 31.- The house refused, Friday, to agree to the senate amendments to the bill to establish reciprocal commercial relations between the United States and the South American nations, and a conference committee was appointed. The Mrs. Logan and Blair pension bills then came up, and after a long debate in which Tarsney, Taulbee, Hatch, and Matson opposed, and Dockery and Cochran advocated their passage, they were both passed, Mrs. Logan's bill by a vote of 154 to 95, and Mrs. Blair's by 148 to 91. The opposition was based on the ground that such measures set up a class of favored ones, and that there were many generals widows who deserved such pensions - so many that if they were granted the money would not go around. A recess to 7:30 was taken, at which hour private pension bills were taken up, and twenty-four passed.

 Washington City, April 2.- Several pubic building bills were passed Saturday by the senate, among them one appropriating $200,000 for a building at Bay City, Mich.. The bill providing for the celebration of the centennial of the adoption of the constitution, and requesting the president to invite the heads of government of the nations of South America to participate therein was passed. It appropriates $300,000. A petition from citizens of Manitoba asking the United States to decide who discovered America, and thus settle a mooted question, was offered, but objected to on the ground that petitions of foreigners should be addressed to the state department. The house resolution accepting the invitation to participate in the Paris exposition was passed. Voorhees introduced a bill to issue coin certificates to be redeemable equally in gold and silver. A bill was reported for the purchase of a sword of Washington now owned by Mrs. V. L. Taylor, and appropriating $20,000 therefor. After an executive session the senate adjourned. 

The house considered the Union Pacific funding bill, but it went over without action and a bill establishing a land court to settle the land claims in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado was taken up in committee of the whole. No action was taken on this bill, and the committee rose and the river and harbor appropriation was reported, after which the house adjourned. 

Washington City, April 3. - On Monday the senate passed the Mrs. Logan pension bill, Berry desiring to go on the record in the negative. One or two other bills were then acted upon, and the house bill for the purchase of bonds with the treasury surplus was taken up, and Stewart moved to recommit, with instructions to report immediately a bill allowing owners of gold or silver bullion to deposit the same and receive certificates therefor. Stewart withdrew his amendment later. Reagan wanted the $100,000,000 held in the treasury for the redemption of greenbacks used to buy bonds. The bill went over without action, and Riddleberger gave notice that Tuesday he would call up his resolution to consider the fisheries treaty in open session. The senate held an executive session, and at 4:15 p. m. adjourned. 

Mills reported the tariff bill to the house and the majority and minority reports relating to the same were also submitted. A resolution was offered to inquire whether the railways were obeying the inter-state commerce law and if not what further legislation was needed. A motion to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution for a constitutional amendment changing the date of the meeting of congress was defeated, a resolution for fixing certain days for certain measures was adopted and the house adjourned. 

Washington City, April 4. - A resolution was presented to the senate Tuesday asking that United States troops be sent to Chicago to protect property and life from the attacks of Socialists of that city and Iowa. Riddleberger's resolution to debate the fisheries treaty in public was sent to the foreign relations committee during a secret session held at Edmunds' motion, to consider what should be done with the Virginia senator's idea. Edmunds said he had some remarks to make which he did not care to have the British minister hear just now. When the doors reopened the motion to recommit the bond purchase bill was defeated, and Spooner offered a substitute declaring that the law already gave the power, which the bill provided for. This substitute was declared carried, but there was much confusion, ant the senate evidently did not know what the action involved. Beck renewed an amendment for the additional coinage of silver dollars, but after a short debate the senate adjourned without action. 

The house ordered the printing of 5,000 copies of the tariff bill and reports thereon. In committee of the whole the bill to refund the direct tax was debated until 5 p. m. when without action the house took recess until 8 p. m., when military bills were considered. Among those passed was one retiring Alfred Pleasanton with the rank of colonel.